AREA OF INFLUENCE - HEALTH

Health starts in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities. Recognized Partners from all sectors work in innovative and collaborative ways to improve the physical and mental health of San Diego residents across their lifespans. By increasing access to affordable fresh food, expanding opportunities for physical activity, raising awareness about wellness and prevention, and upgrading systems so patients receive the best care possible, partners are raising the bar for better health and are influencing a positive trend towards higher life expectancy countywide.

PARTNERS BY THE NUMBERS

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR HEALTH SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Recognized Partners are leading the way with innovative strategies that improve the health of the people they serve. Read their stories below:

“Inspiring and motivating people to make changes can be challenging. Diet is the biggest thing people can do to protect their health and it’s our responsibility to purchase products that do not cause additional harm to our patients, employees, and communities.”

In Focus: Students Develop Big Ideas to Solve Big Problems

The second annual Big Data Hackathon for San Diego County, hosted by San Diego State University, provided the platform and resources needed for students and universities from around the country to come together and develop innovative, data-based projects that will improve the health of San Diego residents.

The event included many resources to help teams turn their ideas into projects, including learning stations with technology experts and mentors from the County of San Diego, the overall SDSU academic community, including students and faculty, and others. Participants generated or used publicly accessible datasets that offer local, state and national data relevant to San Diego, such as the Live Well San Diegodata access portal, to build their solutions.

“It was awesome to see that the spirit of all of these projects was about how they could help struggling communities and individuals overcome challenges," said Leslie Ray, Senior Epidemiologist for the County of San Diego. "It gave me a lot of hope for what this next generation will do.”

San Diego State University

Six prizes were awarded at the end of the event. Project ideas included using innovative analytics to solve issues ranging from individual health-related concerns such as heart disease and mental health issues to those targeting specific community needs such as identifying safe walking routes and resources for veterans.

REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES

Recognized Partners are identifying barriers and designing interventions that improve access to care, healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity for all San Diego County residents, especially vulnerable and underserved communities. Read their stories below:

Neighborhood House Association's Project In-Reach Program is a Prevention and Early Intervention Mental Health Program for incarcerated individuals to get clients treatment ready and link them to community resources.

“La Maestra is honored that the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has chosen to support our program and mission to increase access to care among low-income, underserved, and diverse populations within our community. With these funds, La Maestra will be able to reduce barriers to care including those that result from cultural stigmas, translation, transportation issues, and the high cost of services."

In Focus: Understanding the Impacts of Trauma On Our Communities

Stress and trauma in childhood can have lasting impacts later in life. Adults who have experienced toxic stress or other adverse events early on, such as neglect, abuse or family dysfunction, are more likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer, substance abuse and homelessness. Partners from around San Diego County are coming together to better understand the challenges stemming from stress and trauma in youth and adapt services to ensure vulnerable young people can live successful and healthy lives.

The San Diego Foundation and local government partners are working together to raise community awareness and integrate trauma informed care into their policies, systems and environments. As part of this ongoing collaboration, they hosted an event in February 2017, Growing Resilience in our Community, to provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from community leaders and speak with local organizations currently working to address these challenges. The event, coordinated in collaboration with Alliance Healthcare

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EVENTS

Through outreach events, wellness programs and supportive services, Recognized Partner organizations are dedicated to improving the lives of all San Diegans. Read their stories below:

In addition to producing monthly news segments and promotional spots tied to Live Well San Diego themes, 10News also served as the media sponsor and emcees for events including Love Your Heart, Vital Aging and the Live Well San Diego 5K.

"We were thrilled to be able to collaborate with our community partners to provide important information and services around Health & Wellness. We strive to be a model community children’s museum providing access to authentic hands-on learning experiences that develop the whole child, lifelong learners and global citizens.”

In Focus: San Diego Padres Step Up to Plate for Blood Donation

The San Diego Blood Bank hosted the first Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive, held at the Park in the Park, where they collected approximately 300 pints of blood to meet the high demand for blood over the summer. They used five mobile donation trucks, and the waiting area included activities for donors and children to relax and watch as a Navy-Marine Corps game took place on the baseball field. Donors also received two tickets to a future Padres home game, VIP access to the Padres autograph booth, and a free ballpark meal voucher.

“There was a desire to transform this event into something that brings together even more of the San Diego community in a new way, while maintaining a local sports theme, and still focusing on the need for blood donations,” said David Wellis, CEO, San Diego Blood Bank.

San Diego Blood Bank

HEALTHY CHANGE FROM WITHIN

Health for our residents is bolstered by a healthy workforce. Partner organizations supported employees and their health by implementing worksite wellness programs. Read their stories below:

Walden Family Services did a Mile A Day Challenge that engaged every employee regardless of fitness level or physical ability.

“We moved over 2,000 miles in 3 weeks as a company, and got about 50% of our organization involved. One of our employees expressed that prior to the contest she did not go out and walk at all during the week. During the contest she developed healthy habits of walking every evening with her 2 kids and dogs. This is a habit that they still keep up to this day and has had a great impact on their health as well as family bonding!”

In Focus: Living Well in the Workplace at Christie's Place

Christie’s Place has embraced the 101 Ways to Live Well, and they offer a variety of programs to help clients Live Well including walking groups, trips to Balboa Park Museums, clothing exchanges, health education programs, and a growing library of donated books. They have also implemented a worksite wellness program and encourage staff to further their education, provide off-site trainings, and have provided ergonomic desks.

Staff members also shared that the activities from the 101 ways to Live Well list have helped them champion Live Well San Diego as individuals in addition to supporting the health of their communities. These include staff shopping at local farmers markets to access fresh produce and support local businesses, installing a rain barrel and drip irrigation system for their community, and participating in group walks and hikes to increase their physical activity.

“Inspiring and motivating people to make changes can be challenging. Diet is the biggest thing people can do to protect their health and it’s our responsibility to purchase products that do not cause additional harm to our patients, employees, and communities.”

In Focus: Students Develop Big Ideas to Solve Big Problems

The second annual Big Data Hackathon for San Diego County, hosted by San Diego State University, provided the platform and resources needed for students and universities from around the country to come together and develop innovative, data-based projects that will improve the health of San Diego residents.

The event included many resources to help teams turn their ideas into projects, including learning stations with technology experts and mentors from the County of San Diego, the overall SDSU academic community, including students and faculty, and others. Participants generated or used publicly accessible datasets that offer local, state and national data relevant to San Diego, such as the Live Well San Diegodata access portal, to build their solutions.

“It was awesome to see that the spirit of all of these projects was about how they could help struggling communities and individuals overcome challenges," said Leslie Ray, Senior Epidemiologist for the County of San Diego. "It gave me a lot of hope for what this next generation will do.”

Six prizes were awarded at the end of the event. Project ideas included using innovative analytics to solve issues ranging from individual health-related concerns such as heart disease and mental health issues to those targeting specific community needs such as identifying safe walking routes and resources for veterans.

Stress and trauma in childhood can have lasting impacts later in life. Adults who have experienced toxic stress or other adverse events early on, such as neglect, abuse or family dysfunction, are more likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer, substance abuse and homelessness. Partners from around San Diego County are coming together to better understand the challenges stemming from stress and trauma in youth and adapt services to ensure vulnerable young people can live successful and healthy lives.

The San Diego Foundation and local government partners are working together to raise community awareness and integrate trauma informed care into their policies, systems and environments. As part of this ongoing collaboration, they hosted an event in February 2017, Growing Resilience in our Community, to provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from community leaders and speak with local organizations currently working to address these challenges. The event, coordinated in collaboration with Alliance Healthcare Foundation, Sweetwater Union HighSchool District, South Bay Youth Coalition, Chula Vista Community Collaborativeand the City of Chula Vista: Healthy Chula Vista, brought together hundreds of South County residents.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EVENTS

Through outreach events, wellness programs and supportive services, Recognized Partner organizations are dedicated to improving the lives of all San Diegans. Read their stories below:

In addition to producing monthly news segments and promotional spots tied to Live Well San Diego themes, 10News also served as the media sponsor and emcees for events including Love Your Heart, Vital Aging and the Live Well San Diego 5K.

"We were thrilled to be able to collaborate with our community partners to provide important information and services around Health & Wellness. We strive to be a model community children’s museum providing access to authentic hands-on learning experiences that develop the whole child, lifelong learners and global citizens.”

In Focus: San Diego Padres Step Up to Plate for Blood Donation

The San Diego Blood Bank hosted the first Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive, held at the Park in the Park, where they collected approximately 300 pints of blood to meet the high demand for blood over the summer. They used five mobile donation trucks, and the waiting area included activities for donors and children to relax and watch as a Navy-Marine Corps game took place on the baseball field. Donors also received two tickets to a future Padres home game, VIP access to the Padres autograph booth, and a free ballpark meal voucher.

“There was a desire to transform this event into something that brings together even more of the San Diego community in a new way, while maintaining a local sports theme, and still focusing on the need for blood donations,” said David Wellis, CEO, San Diego Blood Bank.

HEALTHY CHANGE FROM WITHIN

Health for our residents is bolstered by a healthy workforce. Partner organizations supported employees and their health by implementing worksite wellness programs. Read their stories below:

Walden Family Services did a Mile A Day Challenge that engaged every employee regardless of fitness level or physical ability.

“We moved over 2,000 miles in 3 weeks as a company, and got about 50% of our organization involved. One of our employees expressed that prior to the contest she did not go out and walk at all during the week. During the contest she developed healthy habits of walking every evening with her 2 kids and dogs. This is a habit that they still keep up to this day and has had a great impact on their health as well as family bonding!”

In Focus: Living Well in the Workplace at Christie's Place

Christie’s Place has embraced the 101 Ways to Live Well, and they offer a variety of programs to help clients Live Well including walking groups, trips to Balboa Park Museums, clothing exchanges, health education programs, and a growing library of donated books. They have also implemented a worksite wellness program and encourage staff to further their education, provide off-site trainings, and have provided ergonomic desks.

Staff members also shared that the activities from the 101 ways to Live Well list have helped them champion Live Well San Diego as individuals in addition to supporting the health of their communities. These include staff shopping at local farmers markets to access fresh produce and support local businesses, installing a rain barrel and drip irrigation system for their community, and participating in group walks and hikes to increase their physical activity.